David Corson
July 16, 2023
Productivity is something that we should all always be aiming for as best as we can. After all, the more productive you can be, the more likely it is that you are going to have a happy client base, and that leads to so much more of a chance of success in the long run. The question then is what can you do to improve productivity across your construction business as fully and as effectively as possible.
In this article, we are going to take you through a few of the most effective means of doing just that. As long as you have thought about the following, you should find that you are able to have a much more productive construction business in no time - with all the benefits that this brings.
Proper Forecasting
One of the main issues that can arise in the world of construction is when the forecast for a particular project - or even for just a part of a project - turns out to be far out from the reality. This can happen for a number of reasons, but whatever the underlying cause, you need to make sure that you are doing something about it as soon as possible. In essence, you need to learn how to forecast better, as well as speeding up all processes, which we will look into later on in this article.
The secret to good forecasting is to remember that most jobs take longer than you assume they will. There are just so many factors that can get in the way, and for this reason you need to make sure that you are allowing plenty of time to finish any project or task. When you are talking to clients, you should follow the rule of under-promising and over-delivering. If you suspect something may take six months, in other words, tell them eight months. Then if it turns out to be seven, they will still be happy.
All in all, good forecasting is a skill that is really worth developing, and you will find that doing so is hugely important for the sake of yourself as well as your clients.
Project Management
Going hand in hand with that is your project management. This needs to be as professional as possible if you hope to ensure your projects go smoothly, and you need to make sure that you are doing everything in your power to approach this in the right way. The best approach for project management usually is to make sure that you have someone specifically in charge of it, because it is something with its own unique skills that need to be developed and considered.
So whether you hire someone internally or externally for that role, it’s hugely important that you do so right. Good project management will mean that your construction business is so much more productive, for the benefit of you as well as your clients. It’s hugely important that you can do this right for each and every project you are involved in.
Use The Right Equipment
Something very simple but hugely important too is to make sure that you are using all the appropriate equipment for your construction projects. This helps because pretty much any task is going to be easier and simpler if you are using the right equipment and machinery. As you are in the construction world, you probably already appreciate this, but it is nonetheless worth bearing in mind anyway.
Some of the most important equipment is the vehicles that you are going to use, which need to be as good as possible for the task at hand. In particular, there are 20 Types Of Construction Vehicles For Your Fleet that you will need to consider making use of, and comparing between, so that you can ensure you are using the right ones at the right time.
As long as you do that, it’s going to mean that productivity improves considerably across your business, and you and your clients both benefit greatly from that.
Keep Your Inventory Up To Date
This is really important too, because if you are unsure of where everything is going and what is being used, then that is going to cause downtime and will hold you back in the course of your project. It’s vital that you are keeping one eye on your inventory at all times, therefore. This is something that you can always do if you are keen to improve productivity generally, and it is really amazing how much it helps.
In order to do this effectively, you need to make sure that you have someone dedicated to it. A stock controller is going to make a huge difference to your business in this way and in many others, and it is really something that you should think about therefore as best as you can. Keeping your inventory up to date will help you to keep on top of things so much more effectively on the whole, and reduce downtime all the way.
Take Breaks
When you are rushing to get something finished, it can be tempting to think that you just need to get through it and work through all of your breaks. However, that is not really the best approach to take, because there are so many things that can fall apart when people are not taking their breaks - not to mention the fact that you will not be caring for your employees if you take this approach too.
So take breaks, and make sure that your employees are taking their breaks as well. Over time this will actually lead to much more in the way of productivity, and you will find that your business benefits greatly from it as a result. It’s amazing how much this can help you out in the long run, and it’s certainly something that you should make sure to do as best as you can.
Train Employees Well
Of course, the more highly trained your employees are, the more that they are going to bring to proceedings, which will in turn mean that you have a much more productive workforce on the whole. And keeping them trained up in specifics, such as on how to use certain equipment, is going to help you out a lot when it comes to keeping everything flowing smoothly as well. As such, you should make sure that you have a training schedule in place and that you follow it closely.
With better trained employees, everything is going to happen a lot faster, and your business is going to be hugely productive overall. It’s amazing what a difference it can actually make.
Keeping At It
All in all, focusing on those essentials is going to mean that you have a much more productive workforce and that your construction business can get so much more done. That is going to lead to massive improvements in the satisfaction of your clients, as well as how happy you are with your business too, so it is definitely vital that you are getting this right. Keeping at it in this way will definitely help too, so make sure to persist as best as you can and that should make a big difference.
Those are the main things to bear in mind if you want to improve productivity across your construction business, so make sure that you are doing these and you don’t ignore them. That is going to help you out a great deal.
